Vol 59 Page 14 Laverton In June of this year, John Broughton, Val Robinson and myself were lucky enough to have a guided tour of the old RAAF Base at Laverton. FLTLT Aaron Collier, from 21 Squadron at Point Cook, was kind enough to give up his day and show us around, and for that we thank him. Thanks also to Mark Reynolds for arranging it. The Royal Australian Air Force was formed in 1921 and the Laverton site was acquired by the Commonwealth for use initially as an aircraft storage and maintenance depot for the Pt Cook based Central Flying School. It was chosen for its proximity to the Melbourne-Geelong railway line and the Point Cook Base. No.1 Aircraft Depot (1 AD) moved in in 1926, with most personnel commuting from Point Cook. In 1928, No.1 Squadron was transferred from Point Cook to Laverton and in 1936, after No. 21 Squadron was formed, the Base assumed the status of a station with its own separate headquarters. Laverton is the RAAF’s third oldest Base, being built in 1925 at the same time as Richmond. In its heyday it was home to 1 AD (between 1926 and 1994), ARDU, several flying units, Support and Training Command Headquarters and No 6 RAAF Hospital, as well as many training and administrative functions. In 1989 it was amalgamated with Point Cook to form RAAF Williams. Laverton is no longer the vibrant Base it once was, no longer are there any aircraft on its hard stands, no longer are there blokes in shorts and T-boots out on the tarmac or in hangars working on aircraft bits, there are no trucks or tractors buzzing around and there’s no runways A Vol 59 Page 14 any more. And, also missing are the hundreds of trainees in overalls marching under the orders of a raucous DI. Some of the old hangars, near where ARDU used to live, were damaged in a fierce storm some years ago and as they were found to contain asbestos, have yet to be repaired. All is quiet. Today Laverton is home to The School of Languages, The RAAF Central Band, and the Defence International Training Centre. The 1 AD HQ building now houses the Army’s 8th/7th Battalion HQ. Laverton’s runways were decommissioned in 1996 and the land was handed over to developers upon which has sprung the new suburb of Williams Landing. Sad – but inevitable. On our day, we were met at the Pass Office and issued with our passes, then loaded into one of the RAAF’s vehicles and given the royal tour. Just inside the front gate and off to the left are three two-story buildings which were built not long after the Base was established – see HERE. Built in 1935, they were originally single B Vol 59 Page 14 airmen's accommodation and during the 1960’s / 70’s, they became the domain of the WRAAFs and were strictly out of bounds to the Base’s male population. Though where there’s a will, there’s a way – or so we’re told. Today they are used as transit buildings. Above, rear of the old WRAAF blocks, with the wooden Base Cinema to the right and below the empty grass site where once stood the old Airman’s Mess. C Vol 59 Page 14 Further up the road, which runs parallel to the railway line, is the old 1 AD HQ building which is now home to the Army’s “weekend warriors” – the 8th/7th Battalion, RAR, Reserve. D Vol 59 Page 14 Further up the road again, behind the 1 AD HQ building, is the old 1 AD Intermediate Level Maintenance Squadron (ILMS) - vehicle maintenance. The far end of the building was Telecommunications Installation and Maintenance Squadron (TIMS). Many Radio School alumni spent time there. These are still in good nick and are being used today. Further again is the old central store and L Group building where years ago some of us marched in organised groups to collect our bedding and clothing. These days L Group is called the Clothing Store. E Vol 59 Page 14 The old 1 AD workshop hangars, to the right of which is now an empty cement block where once stood hangar 88 – 1 AD Radar Squadron. Doing a 180, and standing on the cement block where hangar 88 stood, you can see part of the new suburb, Williams Landing, which now butts right up to the Base. Being only 19 km from the city, and with an excellent public transport service, Williams Landing is a much sought after suburb of Melbourne. Construction of the area commenced in early 2008 and at the 2011 census, it had a population of 3,223. By 2014, the population had risen to around 6000 and was growing rapidly. It is forecast to continue developing until 2025. The Williams Landing railway station opened in April 2013, and the shopping centre opened in December 2014. F Vol 59 Page 14 One would think the developers would have their eyes on the remaining land still occupied by the RAAF and one would think the Government would reap a small fortune from selling the land. The average land price in the area is currently selling at about $500,000 for a 400m2 block. Below is an aerial photo taken back in 2013, showing what’s left of the Base, (bounded by the yellow lines) and the encroaching suburb of Williams Landing. The pic below was taken from in front of the 1 AD maintenance hangars, looking towards ARDU. You can see the fence dividing the Base from Williams Landing. G Vol 59 Page 14 Looking back towards 1 AD HQ, the hangar on the right was Base Sqn store behind that again was TIMS (Hangar 4). The hangar on the left was RAAF Publications unit (RAAFPU) and behind that was 1 AD electroplaters and carpenters. Not so many years ago this road would have been a busy thoroughfare with hundreds of overall clad bods going here and there, doing their thing, the smart ones would have, of course, been holding a clip board, doing nothing and looking busy. From the 1 AD area of the Base we drove up past the old 6 RAAF hospital, which is now just a health centre, with all major procedures sent off Base. H Vol 59 Page 14 The hangars on the left are the old 21 Sqn hangars. This group of buildings suffered in that severe storm some years back and you can clearly see the roof is missing from the building on the immediate left. Their future is unclear but at the moment they are not safe to enter. Turning a little to the right from the pic above shows the fence dividing RAAF land from Civvy land. At the moment, all that separates the two is a temporary fence which from a security point of view is definitely not satisfactory and you can see the wooden posts being installed which, when completed, will support a more substantial affair. You can see the light blue 1 AD hangar doors in the distance. I Vol 59 Page 14 Another view of the dividing fence in front of ARDU. Streets and lots are already set out and in 12 months houses will spring up, families will move in putting more pressure on the Base. Across the road from the old ARDU hangars is the now defunct Base Sqn HQ. Base Sqn’s at Bases no longer exist, their admin role has been taken over by the “City of….” Sqns and their elec/plumbing/wood butcher etc jobs are now subbied out. J Vol 59 Page 14 Further up the road is the grand old OC’s residence. If you could pick up this substantial house and move it across the dividing fence into Civvy land you would have a very comfortable and valuable home. One can only imagine the parties, receptions and great times that occurred inside those walls over the years. The OC’s duck pond, to the right of the OC’s residence, has been cleaned up since we last saw it – see HERE. Back then it showed the result of being battered by the severe storm. It now features a small well-kept island, accessible via a neat little bridge and offering a gazebo and barbecue area. John Butler still claims it as his own! K Vol 59 Page 14 Not far from, and in sight of the OC’s residence, is the Officers’ Mess. The mess was built in 1939 during the period of expansion at the site. A number of other buildings were constructed at around the same time, including hangars, administration buildings, accommodation buildings and weatherboard community buildings. During the late 1930s, as war loomed, Laverton became the RAAF's largest establishment. This building was designed D B Windebank of the Commonwealth Department of the Interior (Works and Services Branch) as part of the pre-World War 11 expansion of the RAAF. It is finished in the Moderne style, with some Georgian Revival influences, in common with a number of other military and institutional buildings at that time The construction of this substantial two-storey brick building reflects both the importance of the RAAF and the provision of increased funding for defence during the late 1930s. It illustrates the final recognition of the permanent and prominent role of air power in Australia's defence. It is located in a precinct that is detached from the rest of the Base, built in landscaped grounds overlooking a golf course, providing a commanding setting for the building.